Projections indicate that devices which can communicate wirelessly will proliferate in the near future. An example of such devices is wireless sensors for reporting triggering events, such as fire, explosion, gas leaks, and intruders, to name a few, by sending pre-programmed (“canned”) messages. A large number of devices requesting service at substantially the same time in response to a triggering event can overwhelm classical random access methods, such as slotted aloha. In the prior aloha art, collisions have resulted in loss of data and a need for the colliding devices to retransmit at randomly selected times. The retransmissions have further increased traffic, resulting in still more collisions and loss of data. The result has been a reduced ability to communicate compared to normal traffic periods.
Thus, what is needed is a method and apparatus for transmitting and decoding pre-programmed messages. The method and apparatus preferably will operate to reduce the need for retransmissions after a collision occurs.